Brick wall panel and method of making



July 25, 1967 A. D. ARCARI 3,332,1@7

' BRICK WALL PANEL AND METHOD OF MAKING A Filed Dec. l1, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Ammo/w Q /em/ BY @Cwwmwgfw July 25, 1967 A. D.ARCARI BRICK WALL PANEL AND METHOD OF MAKING I 2 Sheets-SheecA 2 FiledDec. ll, 1965 United States Patent @Hice 3,33Z,l87 Patented July 25,1967 3,332,187 BRICK WALL PANEL AND METHOD F MAKING Y Anthony D. Arcari,East Hartford, Conn., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Brix Corporation, a corporation of ConnecticutFiled Dec. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 329,742 Claims. (Cl. 52-309) The presentinvention relates to brick wall panels of the veneer variety, and dealsmore particularly with a brick wall panel which includes a layer ofbacking material. It also deals with a method of making such a wallpanel.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a brick veneerwall panel, and a method of making the same, which wall panel iseconomically manufactured with a minimum of equipment and material,which is easily installed, which is durable in use and which in additionto presenting an attractive appearance may also be used to provideeffective heat insulation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a brick wallpanel, and a method of making the same, in which the individual bricksare securely anchored relative to one `another and relative to a layerof backing'material which may serve as a heat insulating materialbetween the backs of said bricks and the existing wall or othersupporting structure to which the wall panel is attached.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a brick wall panelin which the individual bricks are held relative to one another by awire mesh material which also extends into the bodies of the bricks toreinforce the same and to prevent detachment of the bricks from the meshmaterial as a result of handling or severe environmental conditions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wall panel ofthe foregoing character which may be attached to a supporting structureby means of nails or similar fasteners inserted in the spaces betweenthe bricks and Without setting up undue stresses in the bricks tendingto break the same or in the mesh material tending to withdraw the nailsfrom the supporting structure.

The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention and suchembodiment will be described, but it will be understood that variouschanges may be made from the construction disclosed, and that thedrawings and description are not to be construed as dening or limitingthe scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of thisspecification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of a wall panel of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the wall panel of FIG. l taken on the line2-2 of that ligure;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the FIG. 1 panel along the line 3 3; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an intermediate stage inthe construction of the wall panel of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a brick veneer Wall panel embodying theinvention is shown at 10 and comprises a plurality of bricks orbrick-like members 12, 12 combined with a layer 16 of backing material.and a flat sheet of wire mesh material 18. The bricks are arranged in astandard pattern and are xed relative to one .another by the wire meshmaterial 18 which extends through each of the bricks approximately atthe midpoint thereof. The backing layer 16 may be made from variousdilferent materials, but preferably is comprised of a material havinggood heat insulating qualities and has a thickness sufficient to providea significant heat insulating effect between the backs of the bricks andthe wall or other structure to which the panel is subsequently attached.A relatively rigid insulation or composition board may be employed forthis layer, but preferably the material of the layer is one havingsomewhat of a resilient cushioning effect which allows the back of thepanel to adapt itself to minor irregularities in the supporting wall orstructure. A very suitable material has been found to be styrofoam. Thismaterial has superior insulating properties and a Very low density. Itis also water proof and insect proof.

More specifically and with particular reference to FIG. l, the brickwall panel 10 is seen to comprise live courses of bricks or brick-likemembers 12, 12, each one of which courses is staggered with respect tothe next adjacent upper and lower courses by a horizontal distance equalto approximately one half the length of an individual brick. Each ofthese courses includes four such bricks and as shown the top and bottomcourses 22 and 24 respectively as well .as the middle course 26 projectlaterally and to the left beyond the remaining two courses 28 and 30respectively by an amount equal to the stagger distance already referredto. At the right lateral side of the panel, the said remaining courses28 and 30 project laterally and to the right beyond the threerst-mentioned courses 22 and 26 by the same stagger distance. Inaddition to being so arranged in staggered courses, the courses arevertically spaced from each other and each brick in each course ishorizontally spaced from the two adjacent bricks, the size of thesespacings being generally equal to the size of the spacing between bricksin a conventional brick wall, and which spaces are commonly filled withgrout or mortar. As so arranged, this brick wall panel is adapted tobeing brought together with other panels of identical construction toform a brick veneer wall having all the outward appearances of aconventional brick masonry Wall. Grout or mortar may thereafter be usedto ll the spaces between the bricks so that the finished wall appears asa conventional brick wall and gives no external indication of the actualconstruction. It will, of course, be understood that although FIG. lshows by way of example a particular arrangement of the bricks in thepanel and ya particular number of bricks making up the panel, the numberand arrangement of the bricks on any one panel may be varied as desiredwithout departing from the invention.

The wire mesh material 18 included in the panel 10 may be any `of anumber of different types of materials, such as expanded metal, hardwarecloth or wire screening, which is of an open mesh construction and whichis supplied in generally flat sheets or which may be readily formed intosuch flat sheets as by unrolling and cutting the material from a rollthereof. The bricks, or brick-like members 12, 12 may also be made fromany of a number of different materials, the basic requirement of thematerial being that it be capable of being applied to the wire meshmaterial in a plastic or owable state and thereafter curable into ahardened state. An example of a suitable material is an ordinary mixtureof sand, water and Portland cement to which may be added an appropriatecoloring material.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 3 for a more detailed discussion ofthe construction of the panel 10` and of the manner in which it isattached to a wall or other supporting structure indicated at 32. Asshown, a plurality of nails or staples 34, 34 are driven through thewire mesh material 18 and through the backing layer 16 into the wall 32at locations on said wire mesh 18 where the latter is exposed along theedges of the panel and between the bricks 12, 12. It will be seen thatthe layer of backing material is formed with a plurality of outwardlyfacing rectangular cavities 33, 33 which receive the rear portions ofthe bricks, these cavities being defined and separated by outwardlyextending Wall portions 35, 35 which are 1ocated between the bricks andwhich at their outer faces engage the wire mesh material. The backingmaterial also extends a substantial distance rearwardly beyond the rearfaces of the bricks. The thickness of this portion of the backingmaterial may vary and is in general determined by the anticipated heattransfer requirements of the resulting wall. The material of the -bricksis firmly adhered to the layer of backing material by reason of thebacking material being roughened or provided with open pores whichreceive and hold the brick material firmly to the backing material. Asso constructed, the backing material included in the spaces betweenadjacent bricks will tend to maintain the bricks in their initialrelationship and to resist deformation of the wire mesh material as thepanel is attached to a wall. This in turn tends to prevent damagingstresses from being set up in the bricks and also reduces other stressestending to pull the fasteners from the wall.

It should also be noted that the wire mesh material 18 extends throughthe body of each brick 12 at the approximate midpoint thereof. Theindividual bricks are therefore reinforced by the wire mesh to reducethe likelihood of chipping or cracking both by handling of the panel andas a result of severe environmental conditions or the like aftererection of the panel. Additionally, the material of each brickcompletely surrounds the material of the wire mesh backing and therebyprovides a positive or locking bond between the two materials making itimpossible for the bricks to be torn or loosened from the mesh material.

In accordance with the method of the present invention, the first stepin producing a panel such as that described above is to provide a llathorizontal working surface. This may be conveniently provided by apallet 36, as shown in FIG. 4, which has side walls 38, 38 and a fiatbottom 39 dening a generally rectangular receptacle. The bottom 39provides the at horizontal working surface and the walls 38, 38 althoughnot absolutely necessary, are convenient for use in locating and holdingin proper relationship the various tools and materials which aresubsequently placed on the bottom 39;

The first item placed on the pallet 36 is a generally rectangular sheet16 of the backing material which may be taken to be Styrofoam. Thisbacking sheet is preferably notched as shown at 4), 40 and is providedwith the shallow rectangular cavities 33, 33 which subsequently receivethe rear portions of the bricks 12, 12. These cavities may be formed inthe sheet 16 in various different ways, depending on the nature of thematerial from which the sheet is made. If the sheet 16 is made fromStyrofoam or other similar moldable material, the sheet 16 may be madeby a molding process and the cavities formed therein during such moldingprocess. On the other hand, the cavities may also be made by cutting thesame from a sheet of material initially flat on both sides. Where such acutting process is used to form the cavities, it is desirable that it beone which leaves a roughened texture on the bottom of the cavities, asthis enhances the bond between the backing material and the brickssubsequently applied thereto. For example, where the backing sheet ismade of Styrofoam, the cavities may be cut from an initially flat sheetby a tool in the nature of the small rotary wire brush which essentiallyscratches material from the sheet and produces a roughened texture.Although it is desirable that the cavities be as close to a rectangularshape as possible, any irregularities in their shapes will not beevident in the finished panel, and therefore the process used to cut thecavities need not be precise any may in fact be relatively crude.

The next item to be placed on the pallet 36 is a generally rectangularsheet of the wire mesh 18. As shown in FIG. 4, this wire mesh sheet isalso preferably notched, as at 43, in a manner similar to the backingsheet.

The last item to be placed on the pallet is a generally rectangular gridtype mold 44 having a pattern of cavities 45, 4S therein conforming withthe cavities 33, 33 in the backing sheet and having open tops andbottoms. As

shown, this mold has blocked or closed end portions 46, 46 which overliethe notched portions 43, 43 of the wire mesh and the notched portions40, 40 of the backing sheet. When brought together on the pallet, themold cavities 45, 4S are accurately aligned with those in the backingmaterial 18 by the locating function of the pallet side walls 38, 38.

A hardenable plastic substance such as the above-mentioned mixture 0fsand, water and Portland cement is thereafter introduced into the moldcavities 45, 45. As the material enters said cavities, it flows throughthe openings in the mesh material at the bottom of the grid mold andinto the cavities 33, 33 of the backing sheet. Material is added to thecavities 45, 45 until all of the cavities 33, 33 and 45, 45 are filledand at which time the wire mesh material is embedded in said materialand said material is in the form of brick-like members. Thereafter thetops of said `brick-like members may be smoothed or textured by runninga board, trowel, brush or other tool over the top of the grid mold.

After the plastic material has set for some time, or has otherwise beencured into a self-supporting state, the grid mold may be removed and thepallet with the panel therein placed to one side for further curing orhardening of the brick material, if required. Upon hardening, theoriginally plastic substance forms a pattern of brick-like elements,each of which is reinforced by a portion of the wire mesh material.Further, the backing material is securely attached to said bricks and tosaid wire mesh, providing a brick wall panel which can be readilyattached to an existing wall structure, thereby presenting an attractiveappearance as well as improving the heat insulating characteristics ofthe wall.

Brick wall panels constructed and arranged as above described are welladapted to providing a brick veneer wall edect either on an unfinishedstudding structure or on a pre-existing wall, the spaces betweenadjacent bricks and between adjacent panels being filled with a groutmaterial in a conventional manner after the panels are nailed or stapledin place.

It should be understood also that the term wire mesh as used herein andin the claims refers broadly to expanded metal, hardware cloth or anyother perforated material suitable for holding and supporting thebrick-like elements, and it is not intended that this term be used torefer only to a material made of wire.

The invention claimed is:

1. The method of making a brick wall panel comprising the steps ofproviding a sheet of non-metallic backing material having a pattern ofrough surfaced cavities in the upper surface thereof, placing agenerally flat sheet of perforated wire mesh material loosely over saidsheet of backing material so as to cover said cavities, placing a gridmold having a pat-tern of cavities generally conforming to said backingsheet cavities over said wire mesh sheet with its cavities generallyregistering with said backing sheet cavities, casting a quantity ofhardenable plastic material into said mold cavities so as to ill bothsaid mold cavities and said backing sheet cavities and to embed saidwire mesh sheet in said plastic material, and thereafter allowing saidplastic material to harden and bond itself to said backing material.

2. The method of making a brick wall panel comprising the steps ofproviding a sheet of non-metallic backing material having a plurality ofrough surfaced cavities in the upper surface thereof, placing agenerally flat sheet of wire mesh material loosely over said backingsheet so as to cover said cavities, placing a mold over said wire meshmaterial which mold is in the nature of a grid having open brickdefining cavities which are open both at their tops and bottoms and arealigned with said backing sheet cavities, casting a hardenable plasticsubstance into the tops of said mold cavities so that said substance owsdownwardly into said backing sheet cavities and into intimate contactwith the rough surfaces thereof, hardening said plastic substance into aself-supporting state, and thereafter removing said mold from saidsubstance and allowing said substance to harden further and bond itselfto said backing material.

3. The method of making a brick wall panel comprising the steps ofmolding a quantity of non-metallic heat insulating material to produce asheet thereof having a plurality of generally rectangular rough surfacedcavities in the upper surface thereof which cavities have open tops andclosed bottoms, placing a generally fiat sheet of wire mesh materialloosely over said insulating sheet so as to cover the tops `of saidcavities, placing a mold over said wire mesh material which mold is inthe nature of a grid having brick defining cavities which are open bothat their tops and bottoms and are aligned with said in sulating sheetcavities, casting a hardenable plastic substance into the tops of saidmold cavities so that said substance flows downwardly into and fillsboth said insulating sheet cavities and said mold cavities, hardeningsaid plastic substance into a self-supporting state, and thereafterremoving said mold from said substance and allowing said substance toharden further and bond itself to said heat insulating material.

4. The method defined in claim 3 further characterized by saidinsulating material being Styrofoam.

5. The method of making a brick wall panel compris. ing the steps ofproviding a sheet of non-metallic backing material having two generallyflat and parallel surfaces, removing material from one of said surfacesin such a manner as to form a plurality of generally rectangularcavities in said sheet having rough surfaces, said cavities having opentops and closed bottoms, placing a generally flat sheet of wire meshmaterial loosely over said backing sheet so as to cover the tops of saidcavities, placing a mold over said wire mesh material which mold is inthe nature of a grid having open brick defining cavities which are openboth at their tops and bottoms and are aligned with said backing sheetcavities, casting a hardenable plastic substance into the tops of saidmold cavities so that said substance flows downwardly into said backingsheet cavities and into intimate contact with the rough surfacesthereof, hardening said plastic substance into a self-supporting state,and thereafter removing said mold from said substance and allowing saidsubstance to harden further and bond itself to said backing material.

6. The method defined in claim 5 further characterized by said backingmaterial being Styrofoam.

"7. A brick wall panel comprising a sheet of non-metallic backingmaterial, said sheet having a forward portion defining a plurality ofgenerally rectangular cavities and a rear portion located behind saidforward portion and closing the rear ends of said cavities, a generallyflat sheet of wire mesh material located adjacent said forward portionand extending across the forward ends of siad cavities, and a pluralityof brick elements each of which elements includes a rear portionextending into a respective yone of said cavities and a forward portionextending forwardly from the forward end of said cavity, the portion ofsaid wire mesh material which extends across said latter cavity beingembedded in said brick element and said rear portions of said brickelements being 'bonded to said backing material to hold said sheet ofbacking material in assembly with said brick elements and wire meshmaterial.

8. A brick wall panel as defined in claim 7 further characterized bysaid backing sheet comprising a sheet of Styrofoam.

9. A brick wall panel comprising a generally flat sheet of wire meshmaterial, a plurality of brick elements arranged in spaced relationshipto each other and each of which elements includes a rear portionextending in one direction from the plane of said wire mesh material anda forward portion extending in the other direction from the plane ofsaid Wire mesh material, said wire mesh material at the locations ofsaid brick members being embedded in the bodies of said brick members,and a sheet of non-metallic backing material adhered to the rear facesof said brick members and including wall portions which are located inthe spaces between said brick members and which wall portions extendforwardly from the rear faces of said bricks and into engagement withsaid wire mesh material, said sheet of backing material being held inassembly with said wire mesh material and with said brick members solelyby the bond between said brick members and said sheet.

10. A brick Wall panel as defined in claim 9 further characterized bysaid backing material being Styrofoam and having a rough surface inareas contacted by said brick members to enhance the bond between saidbrick members and said Styrofoam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,853,824 4/1932 Krauss 52-3841,994,644 3/ 1935 Harshberger 52-388 2,329,610 9/ 1943 Harman 52-388OTHER REFERENCES Progressive Architecture, June 1956, p. 51, Call No.Na. P7.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. I. L. RIDGILL, Assistant Examiner'.

9. A BRICK WALL PANEL COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT SHEET OR WIRE MESHMATERIAL, A PLURALITY OF BRICK ELEMENTS ARGANGED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIPTO EACH OTHER AND EACH OF WHICH ELEMENTS INCLUDES A REAR PORTIONEXTENDING IN ONE DIRECTION FROM THE PLANE OF SAID WIRE MESH MATERIAL ANDA FORWARD PORTION EXTENDING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION FROM THE PLANE OFSAID WIRE MESH MATERIAL, SAID WIRE MESH MATERIAL AT THE LOCATIONS OFSAID BRICK MEMBERS BEING EMBEDDED IN THE BODIES OF SAID BRICK MEMBERS,AND A SHEET OF NON-METALLIC BACKING MATERIAL ADHERED TO THE REAR FACESOF SAID BRICK MEMBERS AND INCLUDING WALL PORTIONS WHICH ARE LOCATED INTHE SPACES BETWEEN SAID BRICK MEMBERS AND WHICH WALL PORTIONS EXTENDFORWARDLY FROM THE REAR FACES OF SAID BRICKS AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITHSAID WIRE MESH MATERIAL, SAID SHEET OF BACKING MATERIAL BEING HELD INASSEMBLY WITH SAID WIRE MESH MATERIAL AND WITH SAID BRICK MEMBERS SOLELYBY THE BOND BETWEEN SAID BRICK MEMBERS AND SAID SHEET.